Force Orb: Secondary attacks on a miss?

[Lacyon]

It just seems exploitive to me. I think my players with PCs with a high reflex defense would be really put off if I had the NPC wizard throw force orb at their 5 Ref Def square virtually guaranteeing damage rather than pointing it at their 18 reflex def and having a 50/50 or worse shot at hitting them.

He doesn't get guaranteed damage by doing this. The secondary attack is just that - an attack against reflex. The wizard targets a square at Ref 5, and if he hits makes a +5 ref attack against each adjacent enemy for some minor damage. He gives up the primary damaging attack to do this. Given that his job description is "unleash the hurt on multiple foes at once", this seems totally reasonable.

 

[eleran]

He doesn't get guaranteed damage by doing this. The secondary attack is just that - an attack against reflex. The wizard targets a square at Ref 5, and if he hits makes a +5 ref attack against each adjacent enemy for some minor damage. He gives up the primary damaging attack to do this. Given that his job description is "unleash the hurt on multiple foes at once", this seems totally reasonable.

Then why wasn't the spell an area effect attack in the first place?

 

[Lacyon]

Then why wasn't the spell an area effect attack in the first place?

Isn't it?

 

[Fobok]

Isn't it?

No, it basically works like Chain Lightning. It hits a primary target, and bounces along to other nearby targets.

 

[Lacyon]

No, it basically works like Chain Lightning. It hits a primary target, and bounces along to other nearby targets.

So what if it uses a different mechanic to accomplish the same goal of hitting multiple enemies?

 

[Wolfwood2]

Then why wasn't the spell an area effect attack in the first place?

Perhaps it's part of this 'rewarding game mastery' concept where players who think of doing this in the rare circumstances it would be useful are rewarded. (Not sarcasm - I'm serious.)

 

[Voss]

Perhaps it's part of this 'rewarding game mastery' concept where players who think of doing this in the rare circumstances it would be useful are rewarded. (Not sarcasm - I'm serious.)

But if it works, and is effective, those 'rare' circumstances become common circumstances.

 

[eleran]

Perhaps it's part of this 'rewarding game mastery' concept where players who think of doing this in the rare circumstances it would be useful are rewarded. (Not sarcasm - I'm serious.)

I like to reward creative play as much as the next DM, but not if it breaks the letter AND spirit of a spell or other rule.

Can anyone even think of a non-contrived situation where you might want to use the spell to target a square instead of a creature or object?

 

[eleran]

Isn't it?

No, it isn't. There are other spells on the DDXP wizard sheet which are and they are very clearly defined as such.

 

[Wolfwood2]

But if it works, and is effective, those 'rare' circumstances become common circumstances.

Considering that wizards get other abilities that let them target multiple opponents without having to be tricky, I think rare really is rare.

One example I could think of is if you're fighting mutliple minions who have fire resistance, and all your area effects are fire effects. But how often is something like that going to happen?